Encounter
A fan fic based on the idea of Kaidan being involved in the Kasumi: Stolen Memories mission. It contains 10 chapters and is not yet completed. Chapter 1 ' “So this is the Normandy? I’ve got to admit, it’s one of the more impressive vessels I’ve boarded.” I turned to the newest member of my crew, Kasumi Goto, a thief so legendary that few know of her. We needed her on our side, according to Cerberus at least. Before she could give me her undivided loyalty, she had a favor to ask of me. How could I refuse? I was anxious to see her skills put to the test, so I had agreed to help her. But the first step was getting her settled on board her temporary home. Kasumi stepped off of the Citadel platform and onto the Normandy’s bridge. Joker, hearing her voice, turned his seat around to greet the new arrival. “Welcome aboard! Don’t ever touch anything up here or I’ll have to kill you. I have my ways. Fair warning.” Joker saluted and turned back to face the controls. “Pleasant, that one,” Kasumi chided. “That would be Joker, and in addition to his endless wit, he also happens to be the best pilot in the galaxy. He’ll grow on you,” I said with a smile. “You’ll get to know all of the crew in time. Let me show you to your quarters.” “I can take care of that, Commander. I’m Kelly Chambers, Commander Shepard’s assistant.” I nodded appreciatively. I had more work to do on pending missions, and I had already taken precious time to return to the Citadel for our new asset. “Thank you, Kelly. Kasumi, take your time getting settled. You can debrief me on your situation in the morning.” Turning to face me, I could see the urgency in Kasumi’s face. “I can debrief you on the way to our destination. Tell your witty pilot to head to Bekenstein in the Serpent Nebula cluster. It's not a long journey from here. In the meantime, put this on. Meet me in your shuttle bay in 2 hours. There’s a window of opportunity we can’t miss.” I seethed inwardly. Everything’s always mission critical. I didn't need another crew member telling me where our priorities lie. But by the small crack in her voice, I knew this was her only focus. Until it was removed, I couldn't depend on her services. "Joker, you heard our new guest. Get us to Bekenstein, double time." Taking the small package from her, I headed for my quarters. Upon opening it, I couldn’t believe what I was seeing. “A leather dress? She can’t be serious.” I laughed to myself. The last time I had worn something like this was for a private dinner date back on Earth with Kaidan. After we had defeated Saren, we were given much needed shore leave. He had wanted me to meet his parents in Vancouver, and he couldn’t wait to take me to his favorite sushi restaurant. I had changed into a tight black dress for the occasion, revealing a side of me he’d never seen before. The sushi was good, but the dessert back at his parent’s private beach house was better. I looked at the dress again. “Well, why not. You only live twice.” ____ '''Chapter 2 ' The dress fit, although it was a tight squeeze in places. I glanced at myself in the mirror. I felt ridiculous. This was far outside the realm of my comfort zone, but I convinced myself it was must be necessary for the mission. Joker’s voice came over the intercom. “ETA in 10 minutes, Commander.” “Thanks, Joker. I’m on my way to the shuttle bay.” The shuttle bay. I had to walk through the crew’s quarters to get there. I could imagine the comments this outfit would generate. Well, there’s no help for it. I looked at myself again in the mirror. I felt like I was missing something. Then I remembered – a silver necklace that Kaidan had given me. That would be the perfect addition. I hadn’t worn it since I had been, well, revived. I don’t even know how the Illusive man was able to get it. Kaidan had found it at a little jewelry kiosk in the Citadel. He had been so nervous to give it to me. I’m sure he didn’t know how I’d react to such a gift. Much to his visible relief, I loved it. Even more so, at that moment, I knew I loved him. I quickly opened my bedside dresser drawer, put on the necklace, and left my quarters. I exited the elevator, quickly jogging to my destination. The less time I spent out in the open, the better. I turned a corner and slammed right into the arms of Thane. “Shepard! Commander. My apologies.” “Thane!” I struggled to regain composure. “No need to apologize. I’m in a hurry. Trying to avoid too much attention actually. You understand. I know this outfit isn’t standard issue. It’s for a mission." I could feel myself blushing. "I can explain later.” Thane’s eyes were hard to read, but I could imagine they were memorizing every detail of this moment. “Don’t feel the need to explain yourself to me, Commander. I know that whatever you do, you have good reasons…and intentions.” This could not be more awkward. “Commander?” I saw Garrus walking quickly toward us. Okay, now this couldn’t be more awkward. “Garrus, what do you need? I’m in a hurry.” He eyed Thane with…was that suspicion? Then he looked back at me. “I overheard briefly that you’re headed down to Bekenstein to procure an item from Donovan Hock. I have personal business to settle with him. I’m going with you.” Before I could respond, a voice broke in from behind me. “That’s not necessary.” I jumped. How long had Kasumi been standing there? I made a mental note to always check my back aboard the Normandy from now on. Garrus had a look of surprise. “I think that’s the Commander’s call, Goto. There’s a chain of command here, and you’d better learn to respect it.” Wonderful, Kasumi’s already making rifts in the crew, I thought to myself. “Garrus, as much as I would appreciate another hand, I think that the fewer people we have on this mission, the less suspicion we’ll raise with Hock.” Garrus sighed. “All right, Commander. But Hock is ruthless. Don’t take any big risks down there. We can’t afford to lose you to a damn merc.” “Understood, Garrus. Kasumi, let’s head out.” ____ '''Chapter 3 “You clean up well, Allison Gunn.” “Allison Gunn? I’m assuming that’s my cover.” “Yes, and I’ve taken the time to make you quite infamous. You’ll fit right in.” “Fit right in where? Why am I wearing this ridiculous dress?” “You look great, Commander. You should wear things like that more often.” Wear things like this more often. That would really garner the respect of my crew. “We’re heading to a party Donovan Hock is throwing for his colleagues, some of the most ruthless criminals in the galaxy. It would look a little odd attending the party in your armor, don’t you think?” “Speaking of armor…” I started. Kasumi interrupted me. “I have that covered. You’ve given Hock a gift. A beautiful gold statue of Saren, your nemesis you defeated two years ago. The statue will be moved to the vault, which is where the grey box will be. Enclosed in the statue is armor and weapons, everything you’ll need. Don’t worry, you can carry a pistol into the party. They won’t begrudge a small side-arm.” We sat in silence for a few moments as we neared Hock’s mansion. “Are you all right, Commander?” “Something you mentioned is bothering me. You said that this grey box contains information that would be harmful to humanity and the Alliance. What do you plan on doing with the box once you have it?” Kasumi looked straight ahead, determination on her face. “Hock took everything from me. My love…Kaiji…his memories are stored on that grey box. That’s all I want. I don’t care about anything else. Shepard, you have my word that I won’t use the information to harm anyone. I just want any sliver of Kaiji back that I can get. And I want Hock to pay for what he’s done.” She turned to look at me. “You understand that, don’t you Shepard? When you lose someone, you’ll do anything to have a part of them back.” I felt the weight of the necklace pressing on my skin. “Yes, Kasumi, I can understand that.” We landed the shuttle outside of Hock’s mansion. It was enormous and elaborate; I have to admit that it surprised me. I wondered how many people must have suffered to create all of this luxury. I thought back to the orphans on the Citadel, the honest families on Omega barely getting by while men like Hock took what little they had away from them. I was beginning to relish the thought of taking something away from him. I hoped I’d get to see the look on his face when he realized he’d been played. I walked toward the entrance and, I noted, several Eclipse mercs. A well-dressed man in a white suit approached us. “I’m Donovan Hock. And you are?” “Allison Gunn. A pleasure.” I reached out to shake his hand, but he didn’t reciprocate. Hock, you’re an easy man to hate, I thought. That will make all of this a lot easier. Beside me, the statue of Saren was being inspected. Where in the world did Kasumi get such a thing? It was absolutely gaudy. My mind wandered - I wondered what the official story was on Saren’s death. I’m sure no one knew the truth, that he shot himself in the final moments. I’ll have to ask Agent Bailey the next time I’m by the Citadel. The guard was eying the statue warily. “I’m not picking up anything, Mr. Hock.” “I’m sure our guests wouldn’t have travelled all this way to cause trouble,” Hock remarked with a smirk. “Take it to the vault.” I inwardly sighed in relief. The first hurdle was crossed. As Kasumi and I headed toward the entrance, Hock blocked our path. “I’m sorry, Ms. Gunn, but your friend will need to stay outside.” The second hurdle. “May I ask why my friend can’t accompany me?” “She’s not on the list. You understand. It’s standard procedure. She can wait outside.” I tried to look indifferent. “All right, I understand. She’ll wait outside, then.” Wonderful. I pulled Kasumi aside. “What’s the plan?” I asked. “Don’t worry, I’ll be following as closely as I can. We’ll have to figure it out as we go. First things first; head to the vault so we know what we’re up against. Oh, and one more thing. Hock’s paranoid; there are cameras and bugs everywhere. Watch what you say and do. Try to look natural at all times.” What does she mean when she said she’ll be following me? I remembered the encounter in the hallway of the Normandy. Well, I wanted to see her skills put to the test, I thought, so let’s just view this as an opportunity to see what she can really do. Cameras and bugs will be a bit of a challenge. Asking a soldier to act natural in a black leather dress is a bit of a tall order. Let’s see how long we can go before trouble shows up. I entered the mansion and tried to get my bearings. A sweeping staircase dominated my view, with a stunning panorama of the ocean behind it. Galleries flanked either side of the entryway, and soft music mixed with the hum of conversation filled my ears. Act natural. It was my mantra. I looked at other women, trying to mimic their tall postures. I was already getting glances as I walked further into the lion’s den. Surely no one here would recognize me. They all think I’m dead, anyway. Even if they knew my face, they could never picture me in this get-up. Is that asari staring at me? Act natural! I walked through the main hall, scanning the area for any signs of a vault. I looked over the crowd, trying to count how many Eclipse mercs I’d probably be fighting through later. There were so many people here: turians, salarians, asari, humans...wait, is that? My heart jumped into my throat. I felt like my feet froze to the floor. Spots began to float in front of my eyes. My mind started racing as fast as my pulse. It can’t be. That would be crazy. A man was standing in the corner of the gallery, drink in hand. Black slacks, black button down shirt with the top button undone, piercing brown eyes, full black hair…''Kaidan''. My gaze had obviously lingered too long. Before I could get my legs to move, his head turned and… Oh no. …his eyes met mine. ___ Chapter 4 Move, Shepard, move! I was screaming to myself internally. Finally, I managed to pull myself together. Turning around, I made a swift retreat to the nearest guard. “Excuse me, where’s the restroom?” “Down this hall and to your left, ma’am.” I didn’t bother to thank him. I needed to get away, time to think. I felt naked without my armor. What was Kaidan doing here? He’s got to be undercover for the Alliance. I groaned. Please, Kaidan, don’t be after that box. Unfortunately, it was the only thing that made sense. The grey box had damning information about the Alliance, and I’m sure Admiral Hackett would do anything necessary for damage control. Why send Kaidan? There are a million other Alliance officers that would have been up for the task. How in the world does he plan on breaking into the vault? Is he alone? He can’t be; that would be suicide. Finally, the bathroom. As the doors slid open, I darted inside and watched them close behind me, the glaring orange “Occupied” signal blinking. I walked over to the sink, looking at myself in the mirror. “First he sees me with Cerberus. Now he sees me with murderers and thieves! This just keeps getting better.” “Shepard.” I jumped, quickly drawing my pistol. I breathed a sigh of relief. “Kasumi. Have you been following me the entire time?” “Of course. You underestimate me. I saved up for years to obtain my cloaking technology on Illium. It’s not on the normal bills of sale, but I pulled in a few favors.” She came and stood beside me, looking at my reflection. “I’ve downloaded a schematic of the mansion, along with where each security camera and bug is located.” I glanced around the ornate bathroom. “Speaking of which…” “Don’t worry, Shepard. Even Hock has the decency to let his guests use the facilities in peace. There aren’t too many other places with that luxury, however.” She paused. “So, who is he?” I chewed my lower lip. So she saw me freeze out there and heard my earlier comment in here. My options are to play dumb or tell her the truth. I figured there wasn’t much chance of successfully lying my way out of this, especially if Kaidan were to confront me during the mission. I turned to face her. “His name is Kaidan Alenko. He’s a former crewmate. We served on the first Normandy together with the Alliance. He was beside me when we defeated Saren. I know that he still serves the Alliance, and the only reason he could be here is the same reason we’re also here. He must be after the information on that box.” “How close are you? By that, I mean, what are our options? I could incapacitate him easily if you get him alone. We have to get to that box first.” I shook my head. “Kasumi, you can’t hurt him. He’s a friend…was a friend. It’s complicated. I suppose I should tell you. You’d find out sooner or later after being on the Normandy.” I tried to think of how to put this in perspective. “The easiest way for you to understand is, well…he was my ‘Kaiji’.” Kasumi took a deep breath, then nodded. “That makes this more complicated.” “You’ve got that right,” I said flatly. “Now I ask you, Shepard, what do you plan to do? If he is your former love, would you choose him over me? Who are you willing to assist?” Honestly, I hadn’t thought about it until that moment. If I had the box, who would I give it to? On one hand, it belongs to Kasumi by right, and I have her word she won’t use the information for harm. Even though I just met her, I believe her. On the other hand, if the information is critical for the Alliance to contain, and if giving the box to Kasumi means hurting Kaidan’s mission and any chance of repairing our relationship… I rubbed my temples, trying to sort everything out. I knew we had precious little time. I tried to avoid answering her question directly. If he got to the box first, there wouldn’t be much we could do about it. I found myself almost hoping that we’d get to the vault and find it was already taken. “I would prefer to stick to our original plan, as if he wasn’t here. Hopefully, I can avoid him and we can get to the box first. Maybe that’s not even why he’s here. It’s just an assumption on my part. If he is here for the box and gets to it first…I guess we’ll deal with that if it happens.” “And if he finds you and confronts you? Begins asking you questions? With the cameras and bugs, he would blow your cover. And his.” “Kaidan knows better than that. If we can’t avoid each other, maybe I could somehow discretely find out why he’s really here.” Kasumi opened her omni-tool, scanning the layout of the mansion. “If you want to hold a conversation with no eyes or ears, there’s only one other place you could go.” “Where?” Kasumi looked up from the results of her scan. “Hock’s private quarters. His bedroom.” ___ Chapter 5 I raised an eyebrow. “His bedroom? I guess that makes sense. I’m sure Hock wants to make sure what happens in there stays that way.” Kasumi resumed analyzing the schematics. “The entrance is to the right of the main staircase, but it’s guarded. I’d say forget it, unless you can find another way in. It’s not our primary focus. The vault is. I need a good look at it before I can figure out how to crack it. Your…friend…is probably already two steps ahead of us. We need to get moving.” “Right.” This seemed to be getting more and more complicated. What in the world happened to the plan of walking in, getting the box, and sneaking back out? “Kasumi, after we’re through with this, you can keep your cloak and dagger missions. I’m realizing I’m more the ‘shoot mercs, save hostages’ type.” Kasumi smiled. “I’m sure we’ll get to the ‘shoot mercs’ part eventually.” Let’s hope no one plays the role of the hostage in this one, I thought grimly. Kasumi showed me a quick diagram of the first floor. “The vault is down a stairwell behind the grand staircase in the main hall. Head there. In the meantime, I’ll be picking the lock on security. I need to hack into their system to gain control of the cameras. Once I break in, I’ll disable the one for the vault. Then I’ll meet you down there. Watch out for the guards. They make the rounds at random intervals." She reactivated her cloak. I took a deep breath and walked out of the bathroom. I was half expecting Kaidan to be waiting outside. He wasn’t. The stairwell behind the grand staircase. I walked slowly into the main hall. I glanced over at the corner of the gallery, but as I expected, Kaidan was gone. Taking time to let my eyes sweep over my surroundings, I couldn’t see him anywhere. I didn’t know whether to feel relieved or disappointed. Donovan was standing in front of the staircase, busy entertaining a salarian and his asari consort. I spotted a set of stairs leading underneath the main hall. That must be it. Making a wide circle around Hock, I looked left, then right. No one was watching. I quickly ducked down the stairwell to the vault. With each step I took, I couldn’t help but wonder at the seeming coincidence of Kaidan’s presence. The more I thought about it, the more confused I became. This can’t be chance. But then, what is it? Who else knew that Kasumi and I would be here? There’s the crew on the Normandy, but none of them have ties with the Alliance. Would Kasumi have told anyone else of this mission? No, it's too important to her to be that careless. Then it dawned on me. The Illusive Man. He’s the only one that knew we’d be here specifically for the grey box. He’s also the only one that would have the connections to leak information to the Alliance. If the data on that box is a threat to humanity, the Illusive Man would want to see it suppressed. That double-crossing bastard. But why Kaidan? Before I realized it, I was standing in front of that garish statue of Saren. To my left was the entrance to the vault. I began to scan it with my omni-tool, feeding information to Kasumi. I heard movement behind me. The guards. Quickly, I pulled my pistol and spun around, leveling it at…Kaidan? Instinctively, his biotics began to glow blue. “Shepard, stop.” Seeing him standing right in front of me, memories came flooding back - our talks in engineering, the night before Ilos and all the days after, then watching him walk away on Horizon. I shut my eyes tightly, fighting to regain control. “Kaidan, what the hell are you doing here?” I let my pistol drop to my side. His biotics went dark. “That’s my line,” he said, a hint of anger in his voice. I wasn’t in the mood to back down. I jammed my pistol back in its holster. “We have two options. Either we try to drag information out of each other, or stay out of each other’s way.” Before he could reply, we both heard heavy footfalls. They were getting louder by the moment. Definitely the guards this time. Kaidan started moving toward me. “We can argue later. Right now, we’ve got to hide.” Grabbing my arm, he hastily pulled me toward the statue. He placed himself behind it, and then pulled me between him and the wall. It was a tight fit. He was forced to position his arms around my waist to the small of my back. I wrapped mine around his shoulders, trying to take up as little space as possible. “Did I hurt you?” he whispered, his lips brushing my ear. I managed to whisper back. “I’m fine, you?” “Never better.” I wasn’t sure how to interpret that. The louder the footsteps grew, the less I cared. My mind was overwhelmed by the feeling of his chest pressing against mine. His breath on my neck, the beating of his heart, and the warmth of his body were some marvelous kind of torture. I could only imagine what he must be thinking. The footsteps stopped. Muffled sounds, then a thud followed by silence. “You can come out now, Shepard.” Kasumi. __ Chapter 6 Hearing Kasumi’s voice snapped me back to reality. The mission. I felt Kaidan’s body tense against mine. We were pressed so close together that I wasn’t able to see the look on his face. I held him tighter. I couldn’t help it. I didn’t want to move. Even though we were so close, I felt we couldn’t be farther apart. He misinterpreted my intentions. He held me tighter in response, his biotics starting to glow. I realized he didn’t know if Kasumi was a threat. “Don’t worry, it’s safe,” I said quietly. He relaxed his hold. “I think staying out of each other’s way isn’t an option,” he said dryly. “We need to talk. Alone.” He gently unwrapped his arms from around me as I slid myself out of our hiding place. It felt cold without him near me. Kasumi was facing away from us, busily inspecting the vault for herself. I turned to see Kaidan standing behind me, a furrowed brow betraying the inner conflict he must have been feeling. He was eying Kasumi with distrust. Before I could think of what to say, she broke the silence. “Kaidan, I’m Kasumi. She informed me of your presence here and that you served together before. Shepard is here at my request. Hock stole something from me and placed it in this vault.” She turned, her face full of determination. “I need it back. If you also need something from the vault, perhaps we could work together.” I tried to interject, but she didn’t miss a beat. “I had to take care of the guards in the security room to disable the vault’s camera, and of course, there’s the matter of this guard here.” She gestured to the unmoving body down the hallway. She handed me a small walkie. “They communicate with these. I can cover our tracks for a while, but sooner or later, they’ll discover something’s not right.” Kaidan opened his mouth to speak, but Kasumi cut him off. “This vault needs Hock’s DNA, a voice imprint, and a power surge for me to get it open. Let’s each take a task, split up, and meet back here in twenty.” “Excuse me?” Kaidan was incredulous. “Let me be clear from the beginning. I’m not helping you or who you work for.” “Let me be clear, this mission is too important to me to fail and you’re either on our side or in my way. I’ll never get a chance like this again, and regardless of how much Shepard cares for you, I will remove you if I have to,” Kasumi snapped back, her fists clenched. I threw my hands in the air. “Time out. Can we just calm down, take a step back, and evaluate this situation? Kasumi, I’m here to help you, but I’m leading this mission and we do it my way.” She wasn’t used to working under someone, I was beginning to realize. I was losing my patience with her domination over my authority and her careless words. How dare she tell Kaidan I cared for him? That was something only I was meant to say to him, my way and at the right time. My frustration level was at an all time high. “Kaidan, Kasumi was out of line. I know you would never go against the Alliance to help me.” Damn it. I immediately regretted saying that, but it was too late to retract. Kaidan’s voice was bitter. “First of all, that stung. You should know me better than that. Second of all, I don’t trust her.” His eyes flicked over to Kasumi. “I want to talk, but only to you.” Kasumi calmed down, her voice back to its normal lilt. “May I remind you that this is not a place to hold a lengthy dialogue? Sooner or later, Hock’s security system will analyze this conversation through the bugs nearby and start sending every merc in this place to our location.” I remembered Kasumi’s previous recommendation. He wants to talk, alone, with no cameras or bugs. Hock’s bedroom. ''She noticed the awkward look on my face. Again, before I could even form the words to say, Kasumi started talking. “There’s a simple solution. We need Hock’s DNA, you need a place to talk in privacy. Hock’s private quarters are the perfect place. You gather DNA, I’ll gather the voice sample.” She began to leave, then stopped and turned to Kaidan. “And for the record, I don’t trust you, either.” She activated her cloak and was gone. __ '''Chapter 7' I stood staring at the place Kasumi had disappeared. Was she even listening when I said I was leading this mission? I faced Kaidan, trying to keep a look of indifference despite the emotional ache I felt. “I’m headed to Hock’s quarters. If you still want to talk, come along. Otherwise, good luck. Stay safe.” With a lump in my throat, I began walking away. Why do I feel so defensive when I’m around him? Like I have to prove myself, show him that I know what I’m doing. After Horizon, I had vowed to tell him my feelings if I ever saw him again. Now that the moment had come, I found it was harder than I imagined. It’s never the right time. It’s not too late. I wanted to stop and turn around, to see if he was still standing there. I slowed my pace, but I just couldn’t bring myself to do it. My stubbornness was in the way. Showing my emotions was not my strong suit. The further I walked, the more my heart sank. If he doesn’t follow me, maybe we’re not meant to be. I had reached the bottom of the stairwell. As I began to ascend to the main hall, I felt what I had been praying for. A hand grabbed mine. I looked to see Kaidan beside me with that piercing gaze that always broke down my resistance. “I’m coming with you.” I smiled at him for the first time since Horizon. “I’m glad.” He intertwined is fingers in mine. “I think we’d look less suspicious if we acted like a couple. There aren’t many solitary guests at this party.” As much as I tried to fight it, my smile widened. “I could fetch you an asari for that.” He smiled back. “I prefer what I’ve got.” “Before we go, we need a plan. The main entrance to Hock’s quarters is guarded. We’ll have to find another way in.” Kaidan thought for a moment. “I have an idea. Follow my lead.” We walked up the stairway, hand in hand. He led us onto the back deck overlooking the peaceful terrain, which was in direct contrast to the present company at Hock’s mansion. Mountains soared over the undulating ocean, and a soft breeze tousled my hair. The sound of the waves brought back memories of the beach house. Kaidan brought his hand to my face, tucking the wayward strands behind my ear. If only this were a different place, a different time… He gestured at a window beside the deck. “Through there is Hock’s bedroom. A couple of guards are in the way, but they’re out of sight. If we immobilize them discretely, we’d be in without anyone knowing.” “One guard for each of us.” I unsnapped my pistol holster. “On my mark.” I walked over to the balcony and casually leaned over the side to get a better view of our targets. Two mercs were facing away from us with relaxed postures. I’m sure they thought it would be easy money when they signed up for this job. When I felt Kaidan squeeze my shoulder, I knew we were clear. Just like old times. I quietly vaulted over the deck and took cover by the nearest beam. Kaidan was right beside me. I nodded once, then pointed to his position. He nodded in return. A flash of blue – warp – and the first guard was in the air. I fired two shots. He was down. Before the second guard could react, Kaidan had him pinned. Headshot. We froze in position, pistols ready. No alarms sounded, no noise of backup. I breathed a sigh of relief. We were clear. He leaned over and whispered, “Bag ‘em and tag ‘em.” I rolled my eyes. For all the things that change… I put a clean shot through the window and it broke easily. Careful of broken glass, Kaidan helped me climb through. Once inside, we took stock of our surroundings. I expected Hock’s private quarters to be elaborate, but this was over the top. Antiques hung on the wall, with large seating areas. He could host another entire party in here. A giant bed was directly in the middle of the room. I guess we know Hock’s main focus. So here we are, I thought to myself. Here to play the game of giving just enough information without saying too much while trying to trap the other into spilling their mission objective. It was a game I was good at with con men and politicians, but with Kaidan? It’s too personal. Whereas minutes before, I felt like melting into his gaze, I could now feel my defenses starting to return. He was facing away from me, leaning with his arms on the back of the leather couch. “You kept the necklace.” I had forgotten that I was wearing it. “It’s one of the only things I have left from before the crash.” Kaidan’s voice was barely a whisper. “Is what she said true?” Is what true? About our mission? The vault? That I was here on her request? I was confused. “Excuse me?” He stood in silence, his head bowed. Finally, he spoke. “Do you care for me?” __ Chapter 8 Of everything he could ask, about Kasumi, about the mission, this was his question? I chose my words carefully. “Of course I care for you. I don’t think a day goes by without me thinking of you.” Still facing away from me, he clenched his fists. “Then why did you leave me? Where were you for two years that would justify putting me through so much pain?” I walked forward and stood behind him. “I know this is hard to accept, but I died out there. One minute, I’m floating away from the Normandy and my suit is losing pressure. The next minute, I wake up in a lab. I had no idea two years had passed. As soon as I could, I went to the Citadel to ask Anderson where you were. He wouldn’t tell me. I had been searching for you ever since, until Horizon.” I rested my hands on his shoulders. “I never stopped caring for you. I never stopped loving you.” He turned to face me, his voice cold. “But now we’re on different sides.” I was stunned. So many nights, I had imagined how our next encounter might go. It took everything in me to confess I still had feelings for him. Was I wrong when I sensed there was something between us just moments ago? Did he feel anything when we were so close in the vault, when we were hand-in-hand on the stairwell? I tried to contain my frustration. “After everything I just said, that’s your response?” He looked me in the eye. “You don’t know what I’ve been through, what it’s been like to believe you were dead. I wished I would have died with you. When I heard you were actually alive, I had to endure a completely different kind of pain. I thought that you hadn’t died but chose to leave me instead.” I took a step back, my frustration turning into anger. “And now I’m telling you the truth! Are you blaming me for what you went through? Everything that happened was out of my control! Because Cerberus is helping me fight the Collectors, it’s like nothing I say to you has any weight.” I couldn’t look at him anymore. I turned away, trying to fight tears. “I don’t know what you want me to say. There’s nothing else I can say. Two years went by for you, seconds for me. You’ve had time to move on. I haven’t. That ''is my pain.” Before I could continue, Kaidan grabbed my hand and turned me around. Suddenly, I was in his arms and his lips found mine. It all happened so fast. By the time I finally realized he had kissed me, Kaidan was looking into my eyes, searching for confirmation. I ran my fingers through his hair and pulled him toward me, kissing him fiercely. He grabbed my hips and pressed his torso into mine. I kissed him harder in response. His smell and his taste overwhelmed my senses. I could feel every muscle through the thin fabric of his clothing, but I wanted to be closer. I backed him against the nearest wall. His lips trailed down my neck as I untucked his shirt. My hands found their way underneath it, and my fingers ran the length of his chest and abdomen. They were perfect, just as I remembered them. I fumbled with his belt, trying desperately to take it off without being forced to stop kissing him. I felt his hand running down my thigh and up my skirt. I moaned his name…”Kaidan…” The walkie crackled to life. “Shepard, I have the voice imprint but I need that DNA. I’m by the vault but I can’t wait much longer; the guards are on the move. Do you copy?” Damn it, Kasumi! Kaidan rested his head against the wall. “You have a job to do.” I kissed him. “Promise me we can finish what we started?” He smiled. “You have my word.” I straighted my dress while Kaidan tucked in his shirt and rebuckled his belt. Suddenly, the door to the bedroom slid opened. Hock, clapping, walked into the room followed by four mercs. “How touching. Two lovers, a quarrel, and so close to using my bed. I’m sorry you were interrupted. But I thank you for providing me such wonderful entertainment. Now, toss your weapons to me or my guards will kill you. Don’t make me clean up your guts from my antique swords.” Hock folded his arms nonchalantly. “And don’t think of trying your biotics on me.” “You son of a bitch,” I snarled. Reluctantly, Kaidan and I threw our pistols aside. The guards came forward and bound our hands. Hock stood in front of me, looking me up and down. “Shepard, the legend back from the dead. You’d fetch a nice price.” I spat in his face. He laughed, then backhanded me. Kaidan started for Hock, but a guard punched him in the gut. He doubled over, coughing. Hock slowly walked a circle around both of us. “There’s something more valuable to me, however. We could make a deal.” I struggled against the wrist ties. “If you think I’d do anything for you, you’re insane.” Hock nodded to a guard, who drew his rifle and pointed it at Kaidan’s head. “I don’t think you’re in a position to bargain, Shepard.” __ '''Chapter 9' Shoot mercs, rescue hostages, right Shepard? ''I chided myself. I thought back to Garrus’ warning right before we left. I should have been more careful. But Kasumi had assured me this room wasn’t monitored. I didn’t even question that she might have been wrong. I had no idea how to get out of this. I needed more information and time to think. I especially needed to get out of these wrist ties. “What do you want me to do?” Hock chuckled. “Patience, Shepard. Let me enjoy the victory a bit longer. You followed the script brilliantly.” “What are you talking about?” I snapped. I was struggling against the ties. I could feel them biting into my skin, drawing blood. “Shall I lay it all out for you? It will dovetail perfectly into what you’re going to do for me next.” A merc kicked the back of my legs, forcing me on my knees. Hock pulled up a chair directly in front of me. Sitting down, he leaned forward. “I take part in all kinds of deals, but my capital of choice is information. It has the ability to force people to do what you want. More powerful than money or weapons, the threat of exposure brings presidents to their knees. Much like you are now.” I glared into his eyes. “Get to the point.” “That box your after has extremely sensitive information that I want. It was stored in the body of a petty hacker. I paid a fortune to have him brought here to me. He was easy to eliminate. But his encryption methods were good. Too good. The only information we could extract was a face from a small sliver of a single memory we cracked open.” He leaned back in the chair. “Kasumi Goto, thief and assassin. She was the key to unlock the memories surrounding the encryption. I had to create an opportunity to bring that missing piece to me.” Hock stood and began pacing again. “She’s dangerous; I needed to control when and in what way she would come to me. But how could I create the trap?” He paused and turned toward me. “Savior Shepard, back from the dead, is working with Cerberus to once again save humanity. Word got around that you were building a crew to take on the Collectors. I fed a dossier to Cerberus. You took the bait. All that was left was to leak that I was throwing an elaborate party with an extensive guest list, which would give any thief easy access to my location. With you on Goto’s side, she’d be confident enough to try and take the box.” He clapped his hands together and laughed manically. This man is certifiable. We’ve got to get the hell out of here. “I was so pleased when you arrived! The trap was set. I couldn’t make it too easy for you or your suspicions would be raised. It was very precise, the level difficulty I gave you. Having Goto wait outside was only the first diversion I knew you would overcome.” He sat back down in front of me, his sour breath hitting my face. “After sneaking in, what would she do first? Download schematics for cameras or bugs. How convenient that it showed this room being devoid of both. With a vault needing my DNA, what better place to get it than from my seemingly unobserved private quarters? I even replaced some of the plates of bulletproof glass so you could break and enter! Didn’t you think it odd that I’d have breakable glass surrounding the place I sleep? Honestly, Shepard, I thought you’d be smarter.” I saw him focus his attention behind me. “Shall we chalk your stupidity up to your former lover, the supreme distraction?” Kaidan. There were two mercs flanking me. I couldn’t turn around to see him. This is wrong. This is all wrong! I started to panic. How did we get into this mess? I was cocky, overconfident. I thought I was playing him, but all the while, it was me who was being played! And now, because of my carelessness, Kaidan was in danger. “This all leads into what you’re going to do for me.” Hock picked up the walkie and put it next to my mouth. “You’re going to tell Goto that you’ve gotten the DNA. Then you’re going to meet her by the vault. You’ll cut the power and with the voice sample and DNA, you’re going to open it. You’re going to lead her straight to the box. Once she has it in her hands, you’re going to tell her to access its information. It has a chip embedded that will transmit all of the files to my personal terminal. Do all of this, Shepard, and I’ll let you all go. If you don’t follow my instructions exactly, I shoot your lover in front of you, torture Goto to crack the box on my own, and sell you on the black market. How does that sound?” I heard Kaidan’s voice from behind me. “Don’t do this, Shepard. That information will cost millions of lives.” So he is'' here for the same reason. Hock picked up my pistol and pointed at the floor next to me. “Bring him forward.” I heard struggling, then Kaidan fell on his knees beside me. “You’re the one variable I didn’t anticipate. I can guess why you’re here. The Alliance wants that box, undoubtedly. But tell me, Alenko. Who tipped you? I’m curious.” “Go to hell.” He sighed. “Wrong answer.” He raised the pistol in an arc and slammed it into Kaidan’s temple. He went limp. I tried to charge Hock, but the mercs held me back. I roared through gritted teeth. “Donovan Hock, I swear, I’m going kill you!” He looked at me with disgust. “Love. It’s so easy to manipulate.” He held my own pistol in one hand, aimed at Kaidan’s unconscious body, and the walkie in the other. “I’m not going to ask you again. Choose wisely.” My thoughts were becoming desperate. If I tell Hock I’ll go along with his plan, it will at least buy me time. I hung my head. “I’ll do it.” “What was that, Shepard? Say it louder.” Hock was relishing every moment of this. “I said I’d do it!” I yelled. Hock motioned to the guard beside me. My bonds were cut. I stood up and rubbed my wrists, wincing at the deep gashes the ties had made. With my pistol still pointed at Kaidan, Hock handed me the walkie. “Talk to her.” I took it from his grasp. I waited for my breathing to slow, and then I opened the channel. “Kasumi, I have the DNA. Do you copy?” __ Chapter 10 Static. “Kasumi, come in.” She never answered. Where was she? Did something happen on her end? I looked up at Hock. “Now what? Looks like you’ll have to go ahead and shoot us,” I said sarcastically. “I had trackers installed in these communicators. She probably figured it out and dumped it. I’m beginning to see she’s the intelligent one between the two of you.” Hock took the walkie from me. “I’m sure she’s still waiting for you. She’s remained cloaked. Damn illusive,” he muttered to himself. He pulled a glass vial from his pocket. “This is my DNA. Go down to the vault and do exactly what I instructed.” I knelt beside Kaidan to check his vitals. A merc grabbed my elbow to stop me, but Hock waived him away. “Let her make sure he’s still alive. It’ll be motivation for her to follow directions.” Kaidan was still unconscious but breathing steadily. His pulse was rapid, his skin hot to the touch. A large welt had formed where the pistol had made impact. Wet, sticky blood coated his hair. I cupped his face in my hands, caressing his cheeks. At that moment, I had never felt so much hatred toward another living thing than I felt toward Donovan Hock. I tried to control my rage, knowing that any misstep would be putting Kaidan even more at risk. “What are you going to do with him?” “He needs medical attention, don’t you agree?” Hock put a hand inside of his jacket pocket and pulled out a packet of medi-gel. “Get Goto into the vault and I’ll give this to him. Call it a gesture of good faith.” “Give it to him now or the deal’s off.” “We do this my way, Shepard.” I stood up and grabbed Hock by the collar of his white suit jacket, his face within a hair’s breadth of mine. “Listen, you bastard. You pistol-whipped a biotic with unstable L2 implants. He won’t last long enough for me to get Kasumi into the vault. Give it to him now.” Hock chuckled nervously. “You’ve made your point. All right, you win. He gets it now.” I snatched the medi-gel from his hand. I quickly ripped the packet open and applied it to Kaidan’s head wound to stop the bleeding and quell any infection. Shaking his shoulders, I tried to wake him up. A minute later, Kaidan moaned and his eyes fluttered open. “Kaidan, can you hear me?” He nodded slightly. He was disoriented, but he would be all right for now. I kissed him in relief. I prayed it wouldn’t be the last time. Hock pulled me up roughly by the arm. “Enough. He’ll live. Now it’s time to fulfill your end of the deal.” I shoved Hock away. “Don’t touch me again. Give me my pistol and I’ll go.” All four guards had me in their rifle sights as he reluctantly handed my weapon back to me. “Remember, Shepard, my eyes and ears are everywhere. If you warn Goto or do anything other than what we discussed, I’ll know about it.” I jammed my pistol back into its holster. “You’ve made your damn point. Now get out of my way.” I took one final look at Kaidan, still laying in a daze on the floor. With a pit in my stomach, I turned and left. All of the guests in the main hall were oblivious to what had just taken place. They continued their debased, superficial conversations, getting drunk on exotic off-world cocktails. The galaxy keeps on spinning. I remembered Kaidan’s words the night before Ilos. I couldn’t get the last image I had of him out of my mind. I mentally reaffirmed my vow - Hock would die by my hand before I left Bekenstein. I quickly walked to the stairwell, hiding my bruised and bloody wrists as much as I could. As I approached the vault, I called Kasumi’s name. Still no answer. I sighed. At least Hock kept the statue here. I clicked open the hidden compartment. All of my armor and weaponry was intact. I began suiting up. As I strapped on the last rifle, I saw Kasumi decloak in front of me. “Shepard, are you okay?” Finally. “Kasumi, where have you been?” She took hold of my wrists, inspecting them closely. “When you didn’t answer me on the walkie, I went upstairs just in time to see Hock and four mercs walking into his quarters. You were gone for almost thirty minutes. What happened?” Only thirty minutes? It seemed like an eternity to me. I was hyper-aware of Hock’s cameras. I could picture him watching our every move. How could I somehow communicate the danger to Kasumi? Maybe if I came up with an excuse almost on the edge of absurd, something she could see through but Hock wouldn’t question, she might catch on. “We were ready for them. Kaidan and I took out the mercs and restrained Hock. Kaidan’s still in there keeping an eye on him while we break into the vault.” She crossed her arms, a look of doubt on her face. “So Kaidan’s helping us now?” I pleaded with her with my eyes, my voice low. “Kasumi, I’m asking you to trust me. No matter what happens, please trust me.” She held her stance, her voice cool. “You haven’t earned it, Shepard. I’m on my side and no one else’s. If it came down to me or Kaidan, I don’t trust you to choose what’s in my best interest.” I closed my eyes, trying to fight off despair. I hated to admit it, but she was absolutely right. I felt I was walking a tightrope between alerting Kasumi and keeping Kaidan safe. My judgment was clouded by overwhelming feelings of guilt for getting into this mess. I had to confess, I also blamed Kasumi. If she hadn’t been so insistent on coming here immediately, I could have had more time to analyze the mission. I fought to put it all out of my mind. I had to focus. “Fair enough.” I handed her the glass vial. “This is Hock’s DNA. Let’s crack this vault. To be continued. Category:Fan Fiction